Jay Simeon was born in Fort McLeod, Alberta in 1976. His father is Eric Simeon (Haida), and his mother is Leonora Yellow Horn (Blackfoot). His heritage is a blend of two very different First Nations backgrounds: Plains on his mother’s side and Northwest Coast on his father’s. His father’s people were from Klusta, which is located along the northwestern tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands, north of Old Masset, and is considered to be an ancient totem pole sanctuary.